history. history of emergency management within the doe system the early years in the 1970s, doe’s...
TRANSCRIPT
HISTORY
History of Emergency Management Within the DOE System
The early years
• In the 1970s, DOE’s focus was on security and energy contingency planning
• Before 1985, there were few formal EM requirements for DOE facilities
Historical Impact ofThree Mile Island (TMI)
Accident outcomes
• In March 1979, a nuclear plant accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, exposed weaknesses in emergency planning programs and led to re-shaping emergencypreparedness
• Emergency preparedness requirements for commercial industry were upgraded and enforced
New Standards After TMI
Changes included
• Addressing interface issues among local, state, and federal governments, and utilities
• Defining emergency planning basis
• Establishing planning standards and evaluation criteria
• Developing guidelines for Emergency Action Levels (EALs) and emergency classifications
• Establishing meteorological criteria
• Developing alert and notification guidance
New Standards After TMI (cont.)
Changes included
• Requiring emergency planning zone evacuation time estimates
• Establishing minimum onsite staffing requirements
• Requiring specific emergency response facilities
• Upgrading and coordinating Emergency Public Information (EPI) planning, including the creation of Joint Information Centers (JICs)
Impact of Bhopal—December 1984Accident outcomes
• A Union Carbide chemical facility disaster in Bhopal, India, had a tragic impact on public and worker health and safety
• The disaster was followed by a similar toxic gas release in Institute, West Virginia
• Operator error was a causal agent in both cases
• Facilities and communities were not prepared
• Public awareness of risk of sudden, accidental releases of hazardous chemicals was heightened
Resulting U.S. Changes
New Federal Regulations
• The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III requires chemical release reporting, hazardous chemical inventory reporting, emergency preparedness, and coordination between chemical facilities and communities
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, 29 CFR 1910.120, requires emergency planning, preparedness and training, and emergency response for hazardous materials
Chernobyl—1986Accident outcomes
• Disaster in the Ukraine caused tragic and long-lasting public health consequences
• Operator error was the causal agent
• Few facts provided, and officials deliberately withheld data from the public about radiation releases
• Greater emphasis on providing emergency medical response and offsite planning and coordination
• Renewed attention on providing emergency public information (EPI)
Emergency Management Impact at Department of Energy Sites
• Emphasis placed on DOE to match commercial industry Emergency Management (EM) standards
• Site requirements for EM addressed through the DOE Order 5500 series
• Framework established for DOE planning, preparedness, and response
• Emergency preparedness became a start-up and restart issue for DOE facilities
• Formation of the Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMI SIG) network in 1986